Controlled differential steering mechanism



jun@ l?, 94L H, A. KNOX 2,245,595

CCNTROLLID DIYERLNTIAL STEERING MECHANISM Filed Dec. l2, 194C Knmx {NVENTOR HUPILV A. BY J 1L J O l ATTORNEYS a, Patented June 1752/1'941V l'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEERING CON TROLLED D MECEANISM Harry A. Knox. Washington. D. C.

Application December 12, 1940, semi No. 369331 z claim's. (ci. iso-'9.2)

(Granted unaerihe es or Maren s. ma,A u

amended April 30, `1928: 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manuiaotured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a controlled differtheir teeth 1a and 'la disposed within elements forming the carrier. A planetary shaft 20 Joury n-aled in the plates 8 and I3 carries an inner drum pinion 2l meshing with the teeth 8a and an outer pinion 22 which extends through an aperture 22 in the hub I4 of the lett plate I3.

suit of .this arrangement there is insuilicient space i to provide stable bearing surfaces for the various elements and the heat generated by the gearsA tial for a medium weight vehicle, for example twenty tonss it es apparent that a different organizationv is imperative in a vehicle ot iii-ty or more tons. The pinpose of this invention is to rearrange the elements oi a. controlled differential unit by locating the brake control re motely with respect to the planetary gears so that all elements may have a stable mounting and overheating will be eliminated.

The speelde nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a vdescription ot a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawing which is a longitudinal sectional view of a controlled dierential steering mechanism.

The mechanism consists generally of a casing .d which encloses a controlled differential unit B. a brake control C and a nnal drive unit D.

A planetary shaft 2l paired with the shaft 2li but reversely arranged has a similar inner drum pinion (not shown) meshing with .the teeth 'la and 'an outer pinion. 25.. 'I'here are three sets of the shafts and 24 but two of them are not shown.

The left plate Il carries a. bevel gear 2B driven Y by a pinion 21 on a power shaft 2l in the conventional manner. l

A pair of sleeves 20 and I0 respectively enclosing the shafts I and i extend from the gears 1 andv 8 to the outer part of the casing. The left sleeve 30 for example, lhas its inner end mounted in a bear-ing II carried by the hub Il of the left plate and its outer end mounted in a bearing 32 carried by a hanger Il fixed to the casing. The inner end of the sleeve III has an annular row of teeth 34 meshing with the pinion 22 while the inner end of the sleeve 29 has .teeth 35 meshing with the pinion 25.

with the controlled diilerential unit is conventional.

The final drive unit D comprises a pinion 39 pinned to the shaft l and meshing with a gear I0 on an offset stub shaft which carries a `sprocket 42 -for driving one of the endless tracks oi' .the vehicle.

The casing A may be iilled with oil for the A pair oi al drive shafts 5 and l mounted purpose of cooling as is wen understood in the in the c have their adjacent inner ends art. y splined to the compensating gea-rs 1 and l of a I claim: v

well known type of controlled dierential.

The carrier of Ithe unit B comprises a right plate e having an elongated hub Il mounted externally on an anti-friction bearing I=I carbied by the casing and internally on a bearing i2 carried by the hub oi thegear 1. -The leit plate I3 oi the carrier has an elongated hub i4 similarly mounted by external bearing II and internal bearing I6. A center pls-,te II connected to the right plate 9 and left Plate I3 by bolts i8 is moimted on a pair of bearings I9I9 on the hul of the gears 1 and 8. l

The compensating gear wheels I and 8 splined on the adjacent ends ofi shafts 5 and 8 have l. In a steering mechanism, a casing, a con-l trolled differential gear unitv in the casing including a rotatable carrier having oppositely extending hubs and planetary gears disposed exteriorly of the hubs and projecting therethrough, a pair of drive shafts associated with the differential gear unit and spaced from the hubs of the carrier, a final drive unit on each drive shaft, a sleeve around each shaft having its inner end extending into and mounted in a hub of the carrier and having its outer end extending to the ilnal drive unit, teeth on the inner end of each sleeve mesh-ing with the planetary gears oi the differential gear unit. a brake drum iixed on the outer end of each sleeve adjacent e iinel drive unit and disposed within the casing, and e. braking member for each drum.

2. In a steering mechanism, a, controlled differential gear unit including a rotatable carrier having oppositely extending hubs and prenetary gears disposed exteriorly of the hubs and projecting therethrough, a pair of drive shafts associated with the diierentiai seat unit and spaced from the hubs ol the carrier, e nal drive unit on each drive shaft, a. sleeve around each shut havin! its inner end extendinsr into and mounted in o. hub of the ouvrier and having its outer end extending to the anni drive unit. teeth on the inner end of each sleeve disposed within a hub oi' the carrier and meshing with the plane- 'tary geen ot the diii'eren'tiai zeer unit, a brake drum fixed on the outer end ot each sleeve adjacent e nal drive unit. and e braking element for each drum.

HARRY A. KNOX. 

